I was dismayed to discover on Boxing Day morning that the Scottish Futures Trust (SFT) is paying in excess of £1 million pounds to just 12 members of staff and tried to ‘bury’ the details over the Christmas holidays.
It has now been revealed that the SFT Chief Executive earns £180,000- a sum more than the salary paid to a First Minister. Never have so few been paid so much to deliver so little.
I am demanding an explanation from the Scottish Government and confirmation that bonuses are not being paid to SFT staff. Given that this beleaguered body has so far failed in its stated aim and has yet to build a single school, or hospital in Scotland, bonuses should not even be contemplated.
I am also disturbed that the SFT tried to ‘bury’ this information over the holidays given that my recent parliamentary question offered the Government the opportunity to release it whilst Parliament was in session.
The two questions people will be asking in light of this revelation are: does the SFT have something to hide, and why is the taxpayer paying so much for a body which has produced so very little?
I have lodged a parliamentary question on this matter and sincerely hope that, this time, the Government ensures a clear response is given which is readily open to scrutiny.
Bill with USDAW Campaigners
I’m backing the fight to protect workers from violence after statistics showed an alarming rise in the number of workplace assaults across the country.
In 2007 the British Retail Crime Survey Report detailed a 50% increase in physical assaults against shop workers compared to 2006. A survey by shopworkers union Usdaw showed that nearly one third of shops had experienced at least one physical assault against staff in 2007.
In 2007/08 the total number of physical assaults against public sector workers was a staggering 32,263. This number included 9121 assaults on local government workers, representing an increase of 3000 on the previous year’s figures.
The Workers (Aggravated Offences) (Scotland) Bill lodged by Labour MSP Hugh Henry has already gathered significant support from MSPs, Trade Unions, transport bodies, local councils and individual workers and seeks to give workers who have face to face contact with the public as part of their duties greater protection.
This would mean people committing such offences could be jailed for up to 12 months and face a fine of up to £10,000. I have now provided one of the 17 signatures required to have the Bill progressed through Parliament.
People should be able go to the work each day knowing that the law will protect them from assaults by thugs.
Those who serve our local communities deserve nothing less and it has to be said that it’s not just the victim who suffers, the whole community is affected. For example, if a bus service is withdrawn after an assault everyone loses out. Workers who serve the public need to know they will be protected from the thuggish minority who resort to violence.
These shocking figures show that there has been a sharp rise in assaults on workers who deal with the public.
This cannot be tolerated and the law should stand full square behind them.
Yoker residents have been victorious in their campaign to have the empty multi-story flats in the Plean Street area demolished.
Victory was confirmed via a letter to me from new GHA Chief Executive Martin Armstrong.
Earlier this year I met with the Plean Street Residents’ Action Group to discuss the flats after it emerged that the GHA was considering reneging on its earlier promise to demolish them. At that meeting I was presented with a petition containing over 400 names calling for this promise to be kept.
The flats were virtually uninhabited and had become the focus for anti-social behaviour in the area. Last month, the MSP held face to face to talks with Mr Armstrong in an effort to ensure the planned demolition went ahead.
Now those talks have borne fruit and demolition is planned for “early 2010.”
I am pleased that, following my meeting with its new Chief Executive, the GHA has now stated its intention to demolish the flats in early 2010.
I would like to pay particularly tribute to the Plean Street Residents’ Action Group for all their efforts to make this victory possible. I am sure that the group will have a lot of positive suggestions as to what they want to see in place of the flats and I will be urging the GHA and partner agencies to liaise closely with them on future plans.
